Clay Target Nation

The official magazine of the National Skeet Shooting Association and the National Sporting Clays Association

Digital Extra: World FITASC Photo Gallery

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The USA Sporting Clays Team traveled to E.J. Churchill Shooting Grounds in England in July to represent NSCA and the USA in the World FITASC Sporting Championship. They were joined there by many more NSCA members, as well as competitors from around the world. You can read about the event in the September issue of Clay Target Nation magazine. Enjoy this “digital extra” photo gallery of some of the sights at the 2019 World FITASC. Click on any photo to enlarge it, and use the arrows to scroll through the enlarged photos.

Photos by Thaddius Bedford/Liquid Image

 

Nebraska State Sporting Clays Shoot

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Pheasant Bonanza Hunt Club & Kennel hosted the2018 Nebraska NSCA State Shoot on August 2-5. The four-day event had overall pleasant weather, and the rolling Loess Hills landscape at Pheasant Bonanza was stunning, as usual.

A total of 168 shooters competed in the tournament throughout the four days. The main event, which had 113 competitors shooting, was held on-site in a new location with rolling hills. The preliminary and small-bore events were held on Pheasant Bonanza’s east and west main sporting clays courses. All of the weekend’s meals were served in Nebraska’s only Orvis- endorsed wingshooting lodge.

A warm and sunny Thursday morning kicked off the state shoot with the two-day Lincoln Traps Special preliminary event. Pat Williams (M) took home the HOA title, knocking out 97/100 targets. Class winners included Craig Manson (AA) with a score of 92; Cole Collier (A), also scoring a 92; Josiah Martin (B), scoring 88; Terry Kriz (C) with an 89; and Samuel Philson (D) with a score of 88.

Saturday morning brought a hint of undesired rain for a few short hours, while shooters competed in the two-day Pheasant Bonanza Cup preliminary event. The HOA Champion was Austin Svoboda (M), crushing 97/100 targets. Class winners included Brian Loofe (AA), shooting an 86; John McFarling (A), scoring an 82; Tim O’Connor (B) with an 84; Michael Stutzman (C), shooting 85 targets; Michael Svoboda (D), shooting 76; and Kyle Redinbaugh winning the E class gold with a score of 75.

The small-bore events could be scored any of the four days during the competition. In the .410 bore event, the HOA championship went to Steve Shepherd (M), hitting a near-perfect score of 49/50. Tanner Hackel (M) won the HOA 28 gauge, shooting a 48/50, and Steve Shepherd (M) took home the HOA gold in the 20 gauge, also shooting a 48.

The 5-Stand HOA Champion was Cody Escritt (M), shooting a 48/50. The True Pair HOA Champion was Steve Walters (M), scoring a 46/50. Also scoring a 46 was Terry Kriz (C), winning HOA in the Pump Gun event, and he also took home the Side-by-Side HOA with a 47. The Super Sporting HOA went to Austin Svoboda, shooting an impressive perfect score of 50/50.

As with the small bore, shooters had the option of shooting the main event any of the four days of the competition, which made this year unique.

Sharpshooter Robin Irvine took home the HOA in the main event with a score of 142/150. Class winners were Bred Brodersen (AA), scoring 131; Billy Miller (A), scoring 135; Jacob Carpenter (B), scoring 131; Jake Whipple (C), scoring 134; Hank McVeigh (D,) scoring 124; and Augustus Gomez (E), with a score of 112.

Connealy Insurance and Farms donated two guns to the winners of the Sub-Junior and Junior categories in the main event. Dalton Dearmont scored a 118 to win the Sub-Junior gold and has to make room in his gun safe for a new gun. Riley Ross shot an impressive 140 to win the Junior gold and a new gun as well.

Saturday night was an entertaining evening spent at Roosters restaurant in the Pheasant Bonanza lodge. A delectable dinner was served by Chef Joey. Following the dinner, the shooters and event staff enjoyed live entertainment while they socialized around the fire pit under the beautiful, starry sky. The combination of Saturday evening’s ambiance and the successful days of shooting made the State Shoot one for the record books.

– Contributed by Audra Leichleiter

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

Herman Cordray Youth Benefit Shoot

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The annual Herman Cordray Youth Benefit Shoot took place at Stockton (CA) Trap and Skeet on June 23, 2018. This is an NSCA registered event that is held in memory of Herman Cordray, a sporting clays shooter who passed away in 2011. Organizers of this event include family members, friends and fellow sporting clays shooters.

This event is a fundraiser for the youth shooting clubs in the area. The young shooters come early and help set up for the shoot; they keep score, run errands, clean up and some participate in the event at a discounted price. Herman Cordray was an organ donor, and shooters who are donors enter the event at a discounted price as well. Lunch is included in the registration fee, and the club offers a fun raffle during lunch time. This year the raffle consisted of donated products of the agricultural San Joaquin Valley, including wine from various wineries located in Lodi-Stockton, California area, honey, pickled peppers, olive oil, homemade fruit pies and almonds. Proceeds of the raffle go to the youth clubs who help with the event.

On average, 30 to 40 shooters attend this annual event, and more are always welcome. This year, through generous sponsorships and donations, the shoot provided $3,800 to two youth clubs who helped with the shoot, NorCal Longshots and Coon Creek Youth Sporting Foundation. Under the direction of their coaches, the event was a success. The aim of the event is to keep the foundation of sporting clays solid to ensure the future of this sport, and to date, it has donated close to $36,000.

First-place winners Masters through E class and High Over All first and second-place winners are awarded. Awards are presented in handmade camouflage bags perfect for holding shell casings and other items. First-place winners have their names engraved on a handmade oak award board that is housed at the shooting club.

You can learn more about the shoot and make your plans to attend in 2019 at www.hermancordrayshoot.com.

– Contributed by Tam Cordray

Click on any photo to enlarge it.

Photo Gallery: NSCA North Central Regional Championship

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The North Central Regional Sporting Clays Championship, held at Northbrook Sports Club in Hainesville, Illinois on August 15-19, showcased a beautiful venue for nearly 600 competitors. See our complete event coverage in the October issue of Clay Target Nation. Enjoy these photos of the Northbrook facility and the competition:

Photos by Thaddius Bedford, Liquid Images
Click on any photo to enlarge it.

Louisiana State Sporting Clays Championship

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When your title sponsor, Margaritaville Resort and Casino, gives you a choice of May or August for the Louisiana State Sporting Clays Championship, May wins every time due to the heat in the Deep South. So May 17-20, the first Louisiana Sporting Championship in northern Louisiana for over 25 years took place. Los Paloma Sporting Range and Event Center of Benton, Louisiana, served as host of the shoot, while contracting Flying Q Sporting Clays, also of Benton, to handle the Preliminary and 5-stand events. The weather turned out fabulous, and 266 shooters, many in the area for the first time, had high praise for the facilities, courses, hospitality and the Shreveport-Bossier area.

With great targets set by Reggie Quillin, 170 contestants took their shot at the 100-bird Lonesome Charlie Preliminary. John Terry’s fine score of 97 took the HOA title. Steven Tzotzolas and Ruben Spell were one target back at 96.

Colton Raley won the 5-stand event, also held at Flying Q, in a shoot-off with David King after both posted identical 97s.

Meanwhile at Los Paloma, after 305 rounds of Small Gauge, 265 rounds of Super Sporting, and 79 rounds in the 12-gauge True Pair event, the main event was held. Promatic, another major sponsor of the event, threw some wonderful Heyward Cunningham targets that certainly disappointed no one. Colton Raley out-shot 229 main event entrants for his second state title, with a great 190. Runner-up was Sutton Orenbaun, posting a 187.

Concurrent winners were Lady champion Tristen Owens (173), Sub-Junior champion Caleb Brossette (178), Junior champion Tristen Owens (173), Veteran champion Bert Stelly (184), Super Vet champion Sutton Orenbaun (187) and Senior Super Vet champion Ruben Spell (182).

Hopefully it won’t be another 25 years before a shoot of this caliber makes its way back to the Great North of Louisiana!

– Contributed by Gary Hart

 

Louisiana State Sporting Clays Championship Winners

HOA Colton Raley 190
Runner-up Sutton Orenbaun 187
M1 Clint Foster 186
M2 Gary Hart 186
AA1 Tristen Owens 173
AA2 Dillon Hart 171
A1 James Jeff Smith 178
A2 Jason Dauer 176
B1 Caleb Brossette 178
B2 Mike Broussard 170
C1 Jacob Rhodes 176
C2 Trey Heusel 175
D1 Kenneth Burris 177
D2 Dale Stephens 166
E1 Kameron Durr 156
E2 Blake Perkins 153

 

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